This paper reviews the development of Greater Amman, Jordan noting that the vast urban expansion \ud that has occurred over the last fifty years has led to the desertification of rare fertile lands, following \ud the fragmented and scattered territorial expansion of the city. The future scenario for planning in \ud Greater Amman is analyzed in respect of proposals outlined in the Metropolitan Growth Plan of 2008, \ud which assumes a rapid population growth from 2,200,000 persons in 2006, to approximately \ud 6,500,000 by 2025. The concentration of more than 39 per cent of the national population of Jordan in \ud Greater Amman threatens the transformation of former distinct settlement pattern into a distinctive \ud continuous urban zone, aggravating problems of infrastructural provision, water needs, agricultural \ud lands, and leaving unresolved problems of land inflation, poor urban standards and housing \ud shortages. In conclusion, the environmental implications of the Amman Metropolitan Growth Plan are \ud analysed, and it is suggested that an alternative approach is needed, based on clear principles of \ud sustainable urban development.

- Darmame, K, & Potter. R. B. (2008). Social Variation in the contemporary household use of water in Greater Amman: a preliminary research note. Bulletin of the Council for British Research in the Levant, 3, 57-60.

- Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, (2006) Water in Jordan, (trans) in: http://www.dos.gov.jo/dos_home_a/water.htm - Law number 79 for the year 1966, and its later amendments in 1984 and 1993 (trans.), Official Journal of Jordan Press, Amman - Law N. 52, (2006) Environmental Law, and relative norms (trans.), Official Journal of Jordan Press, Amman. In http://www.lob.gov.jo/ui/laws/listall.jsp